§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress the Employment Service made in meeting the targets outlined in the 1991–92 agency agreement; and if she will show for the latest possible date the(a) total unemployed job placings and variance from target, (b) long-term unemployed job placings and variance from target, (c) people with disabilities job 133W placings and variance from target, (d) inner-city job placings and variance from target, (e) number of claims not pursued following initial contact and variance from profiled annual reference level, (f) number of claimants moved from unemployment benefit to another benefit and variance from annual reference level and (g) number of people who withdrew their claim to benefit after contact with fraud investigators and variance from annual reference level.
§ Mr. McLoughlinI am informed by the chief executive of the Employment Service that in the period April to December 1991, the Employment Service placed a total of 1,020,100 unemployed people into jobs, within 1 per cent. of the profiled target. A total of 17.8 per cent. of these placings were long-term claimants, 2.4 per cent. were people with disabilities and 34 per cent. were unemployed people in inner cities against annual targets of 16 per cent., 2.4 per cent. and 34 per cent. respectively. Over the same period, 416,950 claims were not pursued following initial contact, 18 per cent. above the profiled reference level. The number of people who withdrew their claim to benefit after contact with fraud investigators was on target at 35,950. The number of claimants helped to move from unemployment benefits to a more appropriate benefit is not a reference level under the annual performance agreement for 1991–92.